


Back with Mac

by epeeblade



Category: MacGyver (TV)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, M/M, Post-Series, Robotics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-20
Updated: 2011-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-27 14:10:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/296688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epeeblade/pseuds/epeeblade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After working overseas for a while, Sam returns home to find out just what his dad has been up to while he'd been gone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back with Mac

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



Sean Angus Malloy – better known as Sam – steered his Harley around a row of yellow school buses, barely avoiding someone crossing the parking lot with a trailer attached to their SUV. For a minute he doubted he was in the right place, that is until he saw his dad's Jeep parked just outside the school entrance.

Dad loved that thing. He'd found it at an estate sale a few years back and said it had reminded him of the Jeep he had twenty years ago. It certainly looked as ratty, like it had been through the woods and back, but at least this one had all its windows.

He pulled into an empty spot, pulled out the keys and took his time taking off his helmet. Sam needed the extra moment to regroup. There were kids all over, which was only unusual around a school because it was a Saturday. Sam watched them cluster into groups with matching T-Shirts with numbers and fantastic names on them.

It was hard to remember that this wasn't a war zone. He didn't have to watch his back here, or listen for the sounds of gunfire or shells exploding in the distance. Despite that, he was still twitchy – had been since his plane had landed the night before. It didn't help that the only message from Dad had said to meet him here.

Sam finally got off the bike, slinging his camera bag over one shoulder. He never went anywhere without it – especially when it came to meeting his dad. MacGyver had a habit of attracting trouble, even during his retirement.

He made for the main entrance and had to pause as some kids knocked into his arm as they ran past, sending Sam's heart thumping too loud in his chest.

"Sam! You made it!"

His dad waved at him from the glass doors leading into the school. Behind him a banner proclaimed "Robotics Competition Today." MacGyver looked good for his age – probably all that healthy living. He'd cut his hair since the last time Sam had seen him and it had gone completely silver. Still, that grin was as infectious as ever.

Sam reached out for the hug before Dad could. "Good to see you."

Dad held on for a moment before slapping Sam on the back and pulling away. "Damn good to see you, too. How long until you have to go back?"

"Not sure I am going back." Sam shrugged. He'd been an embedded journalist for the past four years. It might be time for something new.

"I have mentioned my friend at National Geographic, right?" Dad slung his arm around Sam's shoulders and led him inside.

His fingers itched for his camera as soon as they crossed the threshold of the school. Sam refrained for the moment, but he tugged his bag around as he took in the organized chaos going on around them. There were three zones set up to look like tiny soccer fields, each boxed in by metal strips. Around the areas were kids standing at stations with joysticks and control boards, presumably controlling the little robots on the field in front of them.

Sam stopped to watch at the first station, where two opposing sets of robots attempting to collect tennis balls and put them in netted goals. Someone was announcing their actions, like some nerdy version of a sports announcer.

"And team 2130 has managed to climb the pyramid and earn an extra ten points for their team, but will that beat team 3435's impressive work with the goals?" The announcer said, looking every bit as excited as the kids.

"Dad, what the hell is this?" Sam didn't even notice the people crowding around them, caught up as he was with the tiny robots.

MacGyver laughed, steering Sam away from the action. "It's a robotics competition. It's a great program to get kids involved in science and technology. I started volunteering last year at one of the middle schools in the city."

That didn't surprise Sam at all. His dad had a thing for hard luck cases, and had spent most of the time Sam knew him working for the Boys and Girls' clubs in whatever town they'd found themselves. They'd been on the road for first five years he'd known his dad, right after MacGyver retired from Phoenix and Sam had gotten justice for Mom.

Sam gave in to the impulse and pulled out his camera. "So what's the story?" He nodded in the direction they'd just come from.

"Every year there's a new objective and we get six weeks to build a robot to play the game. Each round you get a different partner, so your opponent in one round could be your teammate in the next." MacGyver waved to a group of kids clustered around a table filled with metal parts and tools. "These are the pits, where we work on our robot between matches."

"MacGyver!" The kids cried as he returned. Before Sam knew it they were surrounded by tiny people, all wearing matching orange t-shirts proclaiming them team FireBird.

Sam stepped back and observed through the lens of his camera. He'd brought the digital SLR – not as fancy as the one he used in the field, but still pretty darn good. The team clearly looked up to his dad, and MacGyver looked on all of them with a fond smile.

He also noticed something else while he clicked the shutter. The other teams all seemed to have shiny bright power tools and state of the art parts. There were three or four adults helping while most of the kids just stood back and watched. MacGyver seemed to be the only grown-up here, save for a woman who walked up to Sam.

"Hey, Sam this is Ms. Chase. She's a math teacher at the school and the coach of the team. Linda, this is my son, Sam."

"Glad you could make it, Sam. Your dad talks about you a lot." She grinned, tucking her blond hair behind her ears.

Sam put the camera down long enough to shake her hand. "All good, I hope."

"He mentioned you were a photo journalist in Afghanistan." She pointed to the camera. "It must be very dangerous."

He grimaced. "You could say that."

Before they could continue the conversation, one of the kids came charging into the group, following by three more, one of them holding a little wheeled robot between her hands. "Mr. MacGyver!"

"Hey guys, what's wrong?"

Sam lifted the camera again and started taking pictures of his dad working with the kids. There was something about the way he tilted his head when he listened. The kids knew MacGyver heard them, what they really meant to say. His dad had a real knack with children.

"Mr. MacGyver, the robot broke in the last round!" The little boy looked near tears. He swallowed them down and struggled to speak. "We don't have enough spare parts to fix it!"

"Okay, everyone, gather around." MacGyver held out his hands and brought everyone near. "Now, it seems like we need to replace the pneumatic tubing. Does anyone have anything that could work like it?"

Everyone started to check their pockets and look around at the stuff on the table. MacGyver eyed one of the students sucking hard on a soft drink. "Madeline, could I borrow that straw?"

She took the straw out and handed it over.

"We still need something to make a seal." The first boy pointed out.

"How about some chewing gum?" Another kid pulled a stash out of his front pocket.

"Now you're thinking." MacGyver pointed to another part of the robot. "Now we need something to repair the broken chain."

Sam cleared his throat. He dug into his jacket pocket and whipped out a paperclip. "Would this work?"

His dad grinned at him. "Sure would."

"Never leave home without one." Sam laughed.

"How about your Swiss army knife?"

Sam grabbed it from his camera bag and waved it at his dad. "That, too."

"All right, then, come on over here and help out."

The next several minutes were a bit harrowing, as Sam discovered they needed to get the robot fixed now to make it onto the field for their next match. If they couldn't get it up and running, the team would be disqualified. He helped cut parts with his knife, but it was his dad who was the star of the show.

There was something about watching MacGyver work. It was like the metal parts recognized him, and he always seemed to make technology do stuff it wasn't intended to do. Like the straw that replaced the tubing – that shouldn't have worked, but it did. He made the final touches using some duct tape and a set of zip ties, and the robot stirred to life. The kids squealed in wonder and ran off to take their place in the competition.

"You're good at that." Sam snapped his knife closed and tucked it away again.

MacGyver wiped his hands off on a nearby rag and shrugged. "You're not so bad yourself last I recall."

"I meant with the kids." He lowered his voice. Should he admit it made him wonder what it would have been like if he'd known his dad back when he was a child? They couldn't change the past, but Sam couldn't help but speculate.

"You know, the team could always use another mentor. And I have a spare bedroom at my place." MacGyver looked directly at him, and Sam couldn't read the look in those eyes – eyes that matched his own. "You've been spiriting around the world long enough. Maybe it's time you took a break?"

The moment reminded Sam of back when they first met, when MacGyver had turned down that new Phoenix contract, just so he could take the time to know Sam better. MacGyver had made a choice back then, and had been there for Sam every step on his current path, even when Sam had decided to go off on his own. Maybe there was a time when you had to stop running, had to stay put for a while and find out who you were.

And, God knew, he'd really enjoy not being shot at for a little while. "You know, I think you're right." Sam held up the camera. "Think I know what my next story is going to be anyway – about a bunch of kids beating the odds and building robots out of everyday objects."

MacGyver grinned and threw his arm around Sam's shoulders. "Sounds like a great story. Come on, let's go watch the match."

Sam figured he'd better take notes. If he was going to help out his dad, he should at least know how everything worked. It would be great working with MacGyver again, and Sam decided he was ready for the next adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to lapillus for the quick look. Thanks to my husband for suggesting duct tape and zip ties.
> 
> The robotics program in this fic is a fictionalized version of a real program. Ask me more in the comments:)


End file.
